Percy Pig

Percy Pig is a British brand of pig-shaped gummy raspberry, strawberry, cherry and grape-flavoured confectionery products made under licence in Germany by Katjes for Marks & Spencer which first appeared in stores in 1992. More than £10 million was grossed between June 2009 and 2010 in Percy Pig sales in Marks & Spencer's UK branches alone.[1] They contain just under 3.5% fruit juice and since May 2022 have been suitable for vegans.[2]

A packet of Marks & Spencer Percy Pigs

Percy Pig sweets are available in 100g, 170g and 400g.

History
A Percy Pig sweet

Percy Pig was created in 1992 and was sold in strawberry, blackcurrant and raspberry flavours.[1]

After a brief hiatus from the shelves in 1997, the brand returned, and in 2008 the sweets made UK British Vogue's 2008 hot list at number 11 on the top style bible's 40 hottest people and trends to watch over the coming months.[3]

The Percy Pig character appeared in M&S's 2021 Christmas advert voiced by Tom Holland in the character's first speaking appearance.[4]

A crane hoisting a giant statue of the Percy Pig character up to the roof of the newly opened store in Stevenage.
Percy Pig being installed on the roof of the new M&S store in Stevenage, Hertfordshire

In April 2022, a large fibreglass Percy Pig statue was installed on the roof of a newly-opened Marks and Spencer store in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, to remain there for a year.[5]

Ingredients

Marks & Spencer Percy Pig sweets originally contained real pig in the form of pork gelatin.[1] In 2011, a "Veggie Percy" range was launched, a vegetarian variety of Percy Pig sweets replacing the gelatin with beeswax and pea protein, with green ears to indicate they were vegetarian.[6]

In 2016, M&S began using a new gelatine-free recipe for some other varieties of Percy Pig sweets, and from May 2019 all Percy Pig sweets were 100 per cent gelatin-free,[7] instead using pectin.[8] This relaunch of the range also saw a new logo and packaging designs across the range.

In 2022, beeswax was removed from the recipe, making the product vegan.[9]

Variations

Following on from the success of the original Percy Pig sweets, new varieties, flavours and characters were introduced. Amongst the first were "Percy Pig & Pals", which besides Percy also contained a cow (cola flavour) and sheep (orange and strawberry flavour) and "Percy Piglets", which are smaller versions of the main sweets. A lemon and orange "Penny Pig" sweet was introduced in 1998, and retired a few years later.[1]

Besides the sweet range itself, Percy Pig has expanded to fruit juices, fizzy drinks, chocolates, popcorn, biscuits, cakes, muffins,[10] ice cream,[11] dessert sauces[12] and mince pies,[13] amongst others. In 2020, Marks & Spencer relaunched a Percy Pig advent calendar[14] after being discontinued in 2018 and 2019. Toys, books, socks, party equipment, bed linen and piggy banks are amongst the non-food items with the Percy Pig branding.

List of Percy Pig sweets
  • Percy Pig
  • Percy Pig Original Veggie (previously called "Veggie Percy")
  • Reduced Sugar Percy Pig
  • Percy Pig Piglets
  • Phizzy Pig Tails
  • Percy Pig and Pals
  • Percy Pig Loves Penny (previously known as "Percy and Penny")
  • Percy Pig Goes Globetrotting (previously known as "Globetrotting Percy")
  • Percy Pig Fruity Chews
  • Percy Pig Phizzy Chews
  • Percy Pig Party Time

Seasonal variations
  • Percy Pig Gets Spooky (previously known as "Pumpkin Percy"; Halloween themed sweets)
  • Merry Percymas! (Christmas themed sweets)
  • Percy Pig & His Festive Friends
  • Easter Party Percy Pig (previously known as "Percy Meets the Easter Bunny"; Easter themed sweets)

Discontinued variations
  • Rosy Noses
  • Reversy Percy (foam ears and jelly faces)
  • Percy's Pig Pen (Percy Pig sweets with household object-shaped sweets)
  • Percy in a Twist (fizzy laces in a twist – vegetarian)
  • Percy in the Pink (Percy Pig chocolate)
  • Percy's Pig Sty
  • Percy's Percynalities (Percy Pig sweets with differing faces)
  • Percy's Family Mix (a mixture of Percy Pig, Penny Pig and the piglets)
  • Percy's Parents

Other retailers
Henry Hippo

Similar sweets are available from other retailers. One variation is "Eric the Elephant" produced by Sainsbury's. Tesco's line sports the "Cool Cats" name, while Asda has other similar products called "Stanley Snail" and "Fredrick Frog". Lidl has "Henry Hippo" sweets which are vegan. Poundland, a discount retailer, released their own version in 2019 called "Dinky Dogs", although these are not vegetarian. Swizzels agreed to redesign its "Pigs Mugs" sweets at the request of Marks and Spencers' lawyers, having sold them since 1996.[15]

Outside of the United Kingdom, similar products in other countries are the Canadian "Juiced Up" (introduced 2009), Dominion's "Leo the Lion", the German "Fred Ferkel", the Dutch "Katja Biggetjes", the French "Petit Cochon" (launched 2007) and the Australian "Peggy Pig and Pals" introduced in Coles Supermarkets in 2009.

See also

References
  1. "High on the hog: How Percy Pig came to dominate the sweetie market, and win the nation's hearts". The Independent. London. 6 June 2010. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022.
  2. "Marks & Spencer's iconic Percy Pigs sweets are now suitable for vegans". 4 May 2022.
  3. "Percy Piglets make Vogue's 'hot' list". Metro. 8 September 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  4. "From Spider-man to Percy Pig: Tom Holland voices M&S festive ad". 4 November 2021.
  5. Rutter, Harry (27 April 2022). "Giant Percy Pig installed at new M&S in Stevenage". The Comet. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  6. "Veggie Percy - Big up the new gelatine free sweet treat". Happytalkinghealth.posterous.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  7. "Marks & Spencer's Percy Pigs are now 100% vegetarian". The Independent. 1 May 2019. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  8. "Why everyone's talking about Percy Pigs". The Week UK. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  9. "Marks & Spencer's iconic Percy Pigs sweets are now suitable for vegans". 4 May 2022.
  10. Troy-Pryde, Jadie (11 November 2019). "Percy Pig muffins are coming to M&S and we are not worthy". Marie Claire. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  11. Troy-Pryde, Jadie (7 January 2020). "M&S launches Percy Pig ice cream and what a dream". Marie Claire. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  12. Troy-Pryde, Jadie (7 January 2020). "M&S has launched a Percy Pig dessert sauce in time for Pancake Day". Marie Claire. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  13. Troy-Pryde, Jadie (9 October 2020). "Percy Pig mince pies now exist and they're the Christmas snacks we all need". Marie Claire. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  14. Troy-Pryde, Jadie (15 September 2020). "M&S launch Percy Pig advent calendars and we're totally sold". Marie Claire. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  15. Butler, Sarah (8 June 2023). "Swizzels agrees to M&S demand to redesign its rival sweet to Percy Pig". The Guardian.
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